Lamp tester



Mmh 25, 1930. w. F. HAYEg y 1,751,860

LAMP TESTER Filed April 27, 1928 i l l jf'/ 'Mull llll l r lll L l; s Illllllllllllllll iiiiliiiiim l mf m1111111 y Q9 fe? A9 INVENToR. Way/vial g/es.

Bm f/idw A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES unset WILLIAM 1i. HAYES, or PROVIDENCE, vRHODE ISLAND LAMP TESTER Application :nea April a?,

This inventionrelates to testing devices of the type adapted to cause illumination of incandescent lamps. v

An object of the invention is to provide a vlamp tester for simultaneously illuminating a plurality of incandescent lamps mounted in a carrier. j

Another object is to produce an efficient,

strong and durable lamptester which vis simple in construction and inexpensive to manu-` facture. e

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features ofi construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly'pointed out in the appended claims. v

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lamp tester constructed according to the invention;

Figure .2 is a perspective of one of the sec tions thereof; y Figure 3 is a similar view of the other section thereof;

Figure 4 is al perspective showing the sections assembled and illustratingV the underlying structure by broken lines; y Y

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are vertical sections taken along the lines5--5, 6-`-6, 7 7 and 8-8 respectively of Figure 1 i e Figure 9 is a plan ofa lamp carrier showing a plurality of lamps mounted therein, and illustrating the application of my invention thereto;

'Figure 10 is a vertical transverse section through the-'carrier shown in Figure 9, illustrating by broken lines the application of my device thereto; and A Y Figure 111 is adiagrammatic view'of the electric circuit. f

'It is found in practice desirable to simultaneously test a group of lamps mounted in a carrier, such as lamp kits containing apluralityv of lamps whose bases are disposed in juX-' taposition to each other, without requiring theremoval of the lamps from the carriers, in order to determine whether or not the lamps `will function properly. Y Accordingly, the present invention consists of al device adapted to beiconnected to a suitable source of current and to bridge allof the lamps of a group or 1928. Serial No. 273,247.

set simultaneously to cause the current to flow lthrough the lamps and illuminate the same, and the following is a detail description of one construction by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, incandescent electric lamps 11, 12, 13 and 14 may be mounted in a carrier consistingof a bottom section 15 and a top section 16 hinged thereto, as indicated at 1.7, whereby the top can be folded over the bottom section to enclose the same. Thelamps 11 and 12 are larger than thelamps 13 and 14, and all of the lamps are of the same type, that is, they haveV a single electrical contact. f 1

The section 15is vprovided with means for receiving the bases of the lampswherebyV such lamps may be rigidly mounted in the carrier with the bulbs of the ylamps oppositely disposedk and spaced from thewalls ofthe car-V rier. In the present instance, the mounting means includes pairs of U-shaped channels vi8 and 19, which are slightly spaced apart and disposed parallel to .each other lengthwise of the carrier. Each of the channels 18 7.5 and 19 have transverse slots so formed thereinfor receiving pins 21 projecting from the llamp bases.

Preferably, the channels v 18 andv 19 are made from a suitable length of sheet metal bent to the form shown in Figure 10, with a depending U-portion22 centrally disposed between thelchannels, and the 'slots 20 are so formed in each of the channels that the adjoining ends of thelamp bases will be spaced 85 a slight di'stanceapart.v 'Y f A Y For the purpose of 'electrically connecting' ,thebases of the lamps 11, 12, 13 and 14while such lamps are mounted inthe carrier, I have providedV4 a device comprising an elongated 90 body composed of four sections 24, 25, 26 and 27.` These sections are made vfrom suitable. sheet vinsulatingmaterials, the outer` sections 24 and 25 being ofthicker material than are the inner sections 26 and 27. Theseveral sec- 95 tionsare clamped together by means ofscrews 28. v v

The sections 26 and 27 are designed to carry .means for bridging the several lamps to permit the Viiow. of current therethrough, and

the end of the'slot 39,the lovver portionV of therefore the section 26 is provided with a longitudinal slot 29 extending from one end to a point near its opposite end, such slot being odset downwardly near the front end of the section, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

At the front en d ofthe section 26there is a pair of spaced depending ears 30andl 31,` these ears being formed as extensions of the material used in constructing the section. Slots 32 and 33 are respectively formed inthe ears 30 and 31.

A strip of flexible metal is passed through the slot 32 and folded backwardly towards the opposite surface of the ear 30 to provide a contact member 34. One end of the member is riveted to the section 26 adjacent'the end of the slot 29, as indicated at 35. The other end of the contact member provides a resilient finger on the opposite side of the ear. The end of an insulated conductor 36 is attached to the upper end ofthe contact member 34.

Similarly, another strip of flexible metal is passed through the slot 33 and bent in the manner just described to provide a contact member 37, the upper end'of which is fastened to the section 26 adjacent to the slot 29 by means of a rivet 38, while kthe other or freeend thereof provides a resilient finger on the opposite side of the ear 31. Thecon` ductor 36 is also attached to the upper end of the contact member 37. If so desired, the conductor 36 can besoldered to the contact members 34 and 37, or any other known means may be employed for connecting the two contact membersin parallel with the conductor.

It should be noted that the free end portions of the contact members 34 and 37 are adapted to be Vcompressed towards the faces of the ears, when the device is inserted betweenV the adjoining' lamp bases, as clearly shown in Figure 9.y v .j

The section 27 may have a configuration .l corresponding to the sections 24 and 25, and i this section is formed with an elongated slot 39 extending longitudinally thereof, and having its lovver'edge olfset upwardly, as indicatedat 40. j i A A flexible metal plate 41, bent` into the form of an L, is attached to the section 27 near the4 plateproject'in'g below the section a suitable distance sothat when the device is applied to a lamp carrier the' bottom of the plate will contact with either one of the sides offtlie channels 18 and 19. One end of insulated conductor 42 is attached to the up` per portion of the plate 41," bysolder or any other suitablemeans'. .Y

When the sections 26 and 27 aire assembled in the manner shown in Figure 4, the conductors 36 and 42 are disposed within the slots 29 and 39 respectively. However, due to the spacedA relation'of the offset Vportionsk of the slots, the exposed ends of the conductors will be insulated from each other, as will be readily understood, and the sections 24 and 25 will cover said slots (see Figures 7 and 8).

It will therefore be seen that I have pro vided a device comprising a pair of spaced contactmembers34 and 37 adapted toxbe inserted between the adjoining spaced ends of pairs of lamps, and between the members 34 and 37,V there is another contact member 4:1 adapted to engage the piortion of the lamp rcarrier between the pairs of lamps and provide a ground therefor.

In Figure 11 I have shown a circuit wherein the ends of the conductors 36 and 42v are respectively connected to the terminals o'f a battery 43, the contact members 34 andv 37 being in engagement withl the lamp' bases', and the plate 41 grounded.

. `Obviously, thev type of carrier `for the lamps is immaterial,b'ecause the invention can be used with any arrangement of lamps in which the lamps are so mounted that'their basescan b'e'bridged by a single contact member in the manner hereinbefore described.l

' The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the' mechanical changes tol which. the device is susc'eptible, the inventionvbeing defined and limited only by the' terms of the appended claims.

I claim :y

1. A connector device for testing lamps comprising a body of insulating material having a pair of members extending beyond the margin of the' body andin closely spaced relation, said members carrying t'wo contacts connected in parallel;

2. A connector device for testing lamps .comprising a body formed ofinsulated sections, a pair of contact members mounted in parallel'in one section, and a single contact member mounted in thev other of said'sections. 3.A Vconnector device for testing lamps comprising asectional body, onel `of the sec'- tions thereof having spaced depending ears, flexible contact members mounted in the said earsand disposed onibotlr. sides thereof, and a contact member depending from the body and disposed intermediate the said-ears:4

4. A connector device lfor'testing lamps comprising a sectional body, o'neof` the sections thereof having spaced depending ears,

contact members mounted in said ears:Y and dis- Y posed on both sides'thereof, a contact' member depending4 from't'he body and insulated from the said ear Contact members, and means for electrically connecting the said 'Contact members Wherebythe said ear Contact merlibers will be connected in' parallel.

5. A device for testing a pair of lamps each havingal single Contact and mounted with their bases in juxtaposition, comprising a portable connector body finsultedfnate-fil Vicc 'its

l ilo having contact members for bridging the said lamp bases and a ground contact member, and means for supplying electric current to the said contact members.

6. A connector device for testing lamps comprising a body formed of a plurality of plates of insulating material, two of the said plates being longitudinally slotted and one having depending ears,electrical contactmem- 1 bers carried by said ears, a grounding contact member carried by another of said second plate and disposed intermediate the said ears on the first plate, electrical conductors disposed Within the said slots, one of said conductors being secured to both of the said contact members and the other conductor being connected to the said ground member, plates covering the faces of the said first and second plates and inclosing the said slots,

and means for securing all of the said plates together.

I?. A connector device for testing lamps comprising a plate of insulating material lon". gitudinally slotted, ears depending from the edge of the material adjacent to the end of the slot, a slot formed in each of the ears, a contact member fastened to the plate and extending thru the slot, said contact member being disposed on both sides of the said ears,

a second plate o f insulating material having a slot formed longitudinally therein, a ground member fastened to the said second plate and being disposed intermediate the said ears, plates of insulatingmaterial disposed on opposite sides of the said first and second plates,

electrical conductors disposed Within the said slots and connected to the said contact and ground members, said Contact members being connected in parallel With a single conductor, and means for securing the said plates together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM F. HAYES. 

